La Mirada Blog
Articles by Tony Aiello
La Mirada Kiwanis Offering Scholarship Money for Area High School Seniors
La Mirada~Scholarships of are now available for area high school seniors students who are interested in continuing their education after high school.
For over 30 years, The Kiwanis Club of La Mirada has offered the scholarships; open to all current high school seniors. Scholarship amounts will be awarded in the amounts of $500 and $1000, totally at least $10,000.
To qualify, students must reside in La Mirada, but can be attending ANY high school. Applications are now available from school counselors at the following high schools: La Mirada, John Glenn, El Camino, Whittier Christian, and La Serna.
Students must return completed application packets by April 13th, 2012.
The La Mirada Kiwanis Board will conduct personal interviews with all the candidates on Saturday, May 5th, 2012.
La Mirada Kiwanis Scholarship Chairperson Lou Piltz says the applicants will be judged on “merit, grades, school activity; along with community involvement and accomplishments, and their financial situation.” Piltz added, “We wish good luck to all the applicants.”
Winners will be notified by a letter, and will be presented with their awards at either their graduation, or other school ceremony.
Interested students may get more information at their respective high school counselor office or by calling (714) 521-0996.
Matadore Boys Head North; Girls Soccer Will Host Playoff Opener
La Mirada~The CIF-Southern Section basketball playoff match-ups were announced yesterday, with both the boys and girls teams of La Mirada High School playing on the road in the first round.
The Lady Mats, (13-12, 6-6), under second-year coach Nicole Hyde, will play at No. 10 seed Wilson High School (Hacienda Heights) Thursday in a Division 3AA first-round contest beginning at 7 p.m.
Junior Lexi Vanzuillen (avg.13 pts. a game), and senior Kalena Glover (11), lead the Matadores who enter the playoffs as a Suburban League at-large entry.
They will face a tough opponent in Wilson (20-6, 10-2), who finished second in the Valle Vista League and are riding a four-game win streak.
The boys will have a more scenic route, heading 200 miles up US-101 to Arroyo Grande High School, which is a couple of blocks from Pismo State Beach and just south of San Luis Obispo.
The Matadores (17-11, 8-4), bring a modest two-game winning streak along for the ride, finishing as the Suburban League third place team.
Led by first-year head coach Bryce Jones, the Matadores will face a very tough Arroyo Grande squad. The Eagles (18-8, 11-1), finished first in the Pac-7 League. Start time for the Division 3AAA game is 7 p.m.
You can follow both games on our Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/lamiradablog.
In Girls Soccer, the playoff brackets were announced today. The Matadores, one of the premier teams in the area, finished in first place in the Suburban League and will host the Division 3 post-season opener Friday against Cypress, a very familiar foe from years gone by. Game time is 3 p.m. at La Mirada High School
Copper Thieves Hit Gardenhill Elementary
Four Wings of the School Still Without Power as of Late Wednesday
La Mirada~Thieves stole copper wiring at Gardenhill Elementary School this past Monday evening/early Tuesday morning, leaving parts of the school without power all day Tuesday and Wednesday.
As of Wednesday afternoon, four wings of the school, including the kindergarten section, remained without power as district electricians, continued to work on replacing the wiring.
The wiring was stolen from underground, with the thieves accessing two manhole covers.
"At an unknown time, 110 feet of 1¼ inch copper wiring was stolen, resulting in approximately $800-$1000 dollars in damage, said Sergeant Gary Harman of the Norwalk Sheriff's station, "As a result, two wings of the school lost power."
Gardenhill office clerk Sandy Roberts told the La Mirada Blog that she, along with the custodian noticed the theft almost immediately, "We saw two big holes in the ground, it was kind of obvious something happened."
Spaghetti Dinner and Show Goes Off Without a Hitch
La Mirada~The 32nd Annual Meals-on-Wheels Spaghetti Dinner was held Friday, January 27th at the La Mirada Activity Center.
The event, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of La Mirada, serves as a major fundraiser for the La Mirada Chapter of Meals-on-Wheels (MOW).
La Mirada Kiwanis reported that over 240 meals were served and over 350 were in attendance at the social/fundraiser.
As a guitarist played in the background, and a magician roamed the dining room, attendees feasted on some fabulous fare donated by Bon Appétit contracted food server at Biola University.
"The City of La Mirada has been very generous to us over the years, and we hope that remains the same. But, you never know, with this economy that could change. So, this event is very important to us," said Executive Director Lou Piltz, who is also a former La Mirada City Councilman.
The city provides an annual subsidy, currently around $8000, evaluated yearly. The city also in recent years has provided the venue for the event, hosted in previous years at La Mirada High School.
La Mirada MOW, since its inception, has served over 400,000 meals to shut-ins, and provides food and comfort along with support and encouragement for those unable to provide for themselves, in the La Mirada community.
La Mirada Presents Community Spotlight Award to Resident
Robert Esnayra Saves His Friends' Life After He Collapses While Playing Racquetball; Look For This Story in This Weekend's La Mirada Lamplighter
La Mirada~Robert Esnayra and Marco Perez were doing their usual thing this past October 31st, playing racquetball, but the day ended in a fashion they never imagined-with Robert saving Marco's life.
The two often get together at the now closed La Mirada LA Fitness to play racquetball.
On this day, while they were playing, Robert watched in fear as his partner collapsed to the ground and fell unconscious. He noticed Marco was struggling to breath and also was gasping for air.
Robert immediately started performing CPR to his friend, applying compressions to his chest, and began to call for his friend to come out of it.
He acquired the knowledge of performing CPR at a police academy and other jobs he has worked at.
Marco was not responding. A worker at the gym brought Robert an Automatic External Defibrilator (AED) unit. "After I hooked up the device it indicated he had no pulse, so I followed the instructions on the machine and administered a shock," he said.
He continued with the compressions and about a minute and a half later, before another shock was needed, Marco miraculously regained consciousness.
La Mirada Presents Community Spotlight Award to Resident
La Mirada~Robert Esnayra and Marco Perez were doing their usual thing this past October 31st, playing racquetball, but the day ended in a fashion they never imagined-with Robert saving Marco's life.
The two often get together at the now closed La Mirada LA Fitness to play racquetball.
On this day, while they were playing, Robert watched in fear as his partner collapsed to the ground and fell unconscious. He noticed Marco was struggling to breath and also was gasping for air.
Robert immediately started performing CPR to his friend, applying compressions to his chest, and began to call for his friend to come out of it.
He acquired the knowledge of performing CPR at a police academy and other jobs he has worked at.
Marco was not responding. A worker at the gym brought Robert an Automatic External Defibrilator (AED) unit. "After I hooked up the device it indicated he had no pulse, so I followed the instructions on the machine and administered a shock," he said.
He continued with the compressions and about a minute and a half later, before another shock was needed, Marco miraculously regained consciousness.
Matadores Girls Basketball Has Its Eye on Playoffs
Recent News in La Mirada High Sports
Girls Soccer won at Mayfair, their perennial nemesis, by a score of 3-1 this past Monday for the second year in a row. The win puts the Matadores in position to win their second consecutive Suburban League crown.
Ileen Mejia scored two goals as the Mats (14-6-3, 7-1-0) begin looking towards the CIF playoffs.
In boys basketball, the Matadores (14-10, 5-3) lost to archrival Mayfair 67-50, however the playoff-bound Mats put up a fight against a Monsoon (18-5, 9-0) squad that is very tough.
In girls basketball, this past Friday night against Artesia, the Lady Mats were down by nine with 3 minutes left in the game. With: 15 left in the game they hit a three-pointer to send the game to OT, however they ended up bowing, 51-47.
This past Monday night, The Lady Matadores were down by only two at the half, 24-22, on the road against the Mayfair Monsoons, but ended up losing 55-46.
Alyssa Acuna led the Mats with 17 points.
The Mats (11-9, 4-3) are looking to make the playoffs for the first time under second year coach Nicole Hyde. There could be a showdown with Cerritos on February 10th for the final playoff spot, but a lot remains to be seen.
Iconic La Mirada Newspaper Makes Its Return
La Mirada~The La Mirada Lamplighter newspaper is returning to La Mirada after a 24-year hiatus.
The new La Mirada Lamplighter will debut Friday, January 27th, 2012 according to Los Cerritos Community News publisher, Brian Hews, who has resurrected the paper.
Hews' network of newspapers currently serves readers in Cerritos, Artesia, Hawaiian Gardens, Norwalk, Lakewood, and La Palma.
According to the Library of Congress, the paper started in 1955 as part of the Buena Park News the Weekender. In 1964 it became a twice weekly, ending in 1988.
Dick Hurley, the Lamplighter's popular managing editor, ran the newspaper from 1955-80.
The paper peaked in the 70's and has become a very popular, almost cult-like memory for this nostalgia-craving town.
The new edition is expected to be printed weekly on Fridays, being delivered to drop-spots at key locations throughout La Mirada, with a circulation of 15,000 and an estimated readership of 42,000.
At this time, home delivery will not commence until the first weekend following the Friday print issue, with plans calling for all La Mirada homes to receive an issue, free of charge.
Yours truly has been named the Associate Editor, working alongside Editor-in-Chief, Jerry Bernstein. Send your press releases, news stories, and comments to me at news@lamiradablog.com.
Visit us on our Lamplighter Facebook page and tell us how happy you are to have the La Mirada Lamplighter back: http://tinyurl.com/87tfmgj
Photo: The La Mirada Volunteer Center is excited, after reading the Lamplighter trial edition in December.
Look for the new La Mirada Lamplighter at these and other fine area establishments:
Amy's Cafe 14228 Imperial Hwy
Asian Palace Buffet 15028 Rosecrans Avenue
Beauty Supplies Too 15864 Imperial Highway
Best Care Dental 15651 Imperial Hwy
Bestway Supermarkets 12721 Valley View
Bonjour 
Bagel Cafe 15010 La Mirada Blvd
Breezewood Village Senior Apts 16000 Grayville Dr
Camping World 14900 Firestone Blvd
Carriage Coffee Shop 14871 Imperial Hwy
Family Orthodontic Center 14930 Imperial Highway
IHOP Restaurant 15140 La Mirada Blvd
La Mirada Community Dental 14930 Imperial Highway
La Mirada Family Dentistry 15071 East Imperial Highway
La Mirada Golf Course 15501 East Alicante Road
La Mirada Landmark Adult Community 13710 Avenida Santa Tecla
La Mirada Council Passes Resolution to Postpone Redevelopment Dissolution; New Community Commissioner Named
La Mirada~The city council on Tuesday passed resolution 12-06 to support legislation, along with other area cities of SB 659, which will temporarily postpone the dissolution of redevelopment agencies in the state.
With the passing of recent bill ABX1 26, the state has essentially told city redevelopment agencies to shut down shop.
“This is a travesty”, City manager Tom Robinson said, “The state is eliminating organizations that do a billion dollars worth of good.”
Many city agencies are scrambling to react and hope to postpone the shutdown to at least April 15th-which SB 659 will provide.
A series of events must take place in the State Legislature by February 1st however, to make that happen, including a call for a special session.
With that February 1st deadline looming, the city redevelopment agency may have performed its last action as an official body. The Lamplighter has asked several area city managers, including our own Tom Robinson to comment on the end of redevelopment. Their comments can be found on page 7.
NEW CITY COMMISSIONER NAMED
La Mirada native, Kenny Meyer was sworn in as the city’s latest commissioner.
Kenny will serve on the Community Services Commission for an unexpired term ending in June 2013.
Kenny was born and raised in La Mirada, and has been very involved in youth sports programs over the years.
He has served as an assistant for the La Mirada High School freshmen football for ten years, and initiated a study session program for the players.
Check Out This HD Treat From London at La Mirada Theatre
Captured Live in London in HD and Shown on Our Giant Screen Friday, January 13th at 8 PM!
La Mirada~The National Theatre Live series continues at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts with the screening of Colloborators, a new play by John Hodge, screenwriter of Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and The Beach.
The screening is Friday, January 13th at 8 p.m.
Inspired by historical facts, the play is set in 1938 Moscow where a man is offered a commission to write a play about Joseph Stalin for the leaders 60th birthday.
Starring Alex Jennings and Simon Russell Beale, tickets are $20 and may be reserved on-line here or by calling the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts ticket office at (562) 944-9801.
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